Anybody been reading the discussion on the pdga board about Brad Hammock at the worlds. Apperently he made a real ass of himself and probably should have been disqualified. Looks like Innova has also suspended him as he is no longer on their website as a sponsored player. Interesting read if nothing else.

The REAL issue is (and I have seen this at many events): Why are people not willing to "man up" and warn players early or back up others that do??

anything that unfairly distracts me takes the reasonable expectation of fair play away from my tournament experience. Having to be the "bad guy" is also an additional pressure that I don't need. Having people refuse to back up a warning is even more ridiculous.

First I'd like to say thanks to everyone for the support and accolades I recieved [at the tournament and on-line] during this years WORLDS. I played some amazing golf and I'm happy with my results. I'd also like to thank the PDGA and Augusta for everything they did to make this Championship such a success. And! I'd like to thank my Sponsor INNOVA [we weren't given any time to say thanks at the awards].

BUT! I guess it's time to get down to the NITTY GRITTY. And I mean GRITTY!

I just went through this post and saw the disdain most players are showing for Brad's bad behavior during this years PRO WORLDS. I played rounds 2,3,4,6,7 and the FINALS with him and I personally know everything he said and did. I rarely post on this discussion page; but, felt this is one time I must post! The post I have chosen to reply to...says it all!

The REAL issue is (and I have seen this at many events): Why are people not willing to "man up" and warn players early or back up others that do??

This is so true. I have played many rounds going back to 1998 with Brad Hammock and have warned him in almost every one of these tournaments and rounds to quit the SH%$ talking and innuendo.

Not once have I been backed up by someone in the group. This is exactly what happened again this year at the WORLDS. I told Brad repeatedly to stop making discourteous comments during our rounds. In most cases he came back with name calling and derogatory remarks. The other players in the group never once said anything; they just let him SPEW.

In rd. 3 he got in a pile of branches and asked "What do I do with this?" I told him mark it in the pile and play it...and that he couldn't move any of it because it was in front of his lie. He said a few profane words, marked his shot, putted and missed, and then started kicking the pile down to WOOD CHIPS. I told him to stop. No one else in the group said a word to him. I could clearly see they were as uncomfortable about his tantrum as I was...but they didn't say anything. The round went on with more WAAA BABY stuff from Brad till we got to hole 16 where the GATES OF HELL opened up. Brad 5'd the hole and as we were walking to 17's tee he started KARATE kicking the rock cairn/Chinook Chuk. He didn't accidentally run into the thing...he kicked and kicked on it till every rock was off the man-hole cover it had been erected on. Once again I told him to stop it and that he been warned already. And, once again neither of the others in my group said a thing. The second card [waiting on hole 17's tee] jumped in with condemning comments about his actions. He insulted them and me and showed no remorse of any kind for what he did. Again, not one word from the others on the LEADER CARD!

As the 2nd group walked away Brad said some pretty insensitive things about one of the players. This time I told Brad "You've been warned...now you're getting a stroke"! He tore into me for 5 minutes while we waited on the tee box. ONCE AGAIN NOTHING WAS SAID BY ANY OF THE OTHERS IN OUR GROUP!

Hole 17 was a complete fiasco with the BRAD calling us #$*&$! or #$*&$! many times including other taunting verbiage. I told him to stop it and that "I'll go get a T.D. if he doesn't"; and the others in the group [NOTHING]! It was at this point that I talked to the guys in the group and said "You're going to regret letting him act like this when this thing is over."

Hole 18 was even worse...Brad wouldn't even shake/high 5 me or Dean's hands. THE ANGST LEVEL WAS UNBEARABLY HIGH! We walked down the fairway listening to the P word [AT LEAST 30 TIMES]. Again I told Brad to stop it and I think ya'll know what the other guys on the card said. YEP! NOTHING! I was shaking mad and ended up missing a 20 footer...that rolled away...and I ended up a BOGIEING to finish the round.

This sort of thing went on---every second of every round. Snide little remarks were used by Brad on almost every hole. If someone asked to putt out he answer with "WHAT-EVER".
If someone got a good kick he'd spout "GOD. YOU'RE LUCKY; YOU'RE SO F$%#ING LUCKY"!

In the sport of disc golf I rarely come across anyone who is hard to get along with. Most people cheer on each other, say things like "SNEAK" when someone's disc is heading toward a tree or bush, congratulate each other for good shots, treat each other with dignity and respect, show sympathy when another player gets a bad kick, high 5 good throws and putts and in general act like good sports.

Rarely does someone come along in this sport that is contemptible, despiteful, belligerant and PURE EVIL as is the case with Brad Hammock.

The problem we have here is that we are asked to POLICE ourselves. And it's the rule...you must by the rules call someone for a violation or you're violating the rules. In doing this we the players put our own mental state and focus at risk of being sundered. But, if we don't do it we put ourselves at the same risk by having to play with so much anxiety.

After the tournament was over and the awards were handed out; a couple of the top finishers and I were talking and they were mad that he'd won, that he'd taken us out of our games with his BULLYING and that they were going to write some letters.

I told them "What are you talking about...it's too late for that now." I said to the guys "He never even recieved an official warning or penalty. WHY! Because you didn't back me up when he started acting like a 5 year old way back at the beginning of the event. I told them ya'll enabled him to do what he did." I then said remember what I said way back in the 3rd round: You're going to regret letting him act like this when this thing is over."

This is a lesson to all the disc golfers at every level...disc golf rules are rerived from ball golf rules. And the #1 rule is courtesy. You can beat your self up [which I know I'm guilty of occassionally] but you can't let someone else beat you up menatally or physically. If you do and the rest of the group lets it happened to them too...it's no one's fault but your own. And like the other quote from this thread ("Having people refuse to back up a warning is even more ridiculous.")